Sergio Ramos was given extra time off but has now joined up with the Real Madrid squad and commenced pre-season training. Whether or not he will feature in this match remains to be seen.

Zinedine Zidane has included a number of youngsters in his travelling party as well as new signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, but though Danilo flew out he now looks set to join Manchester City.

BETTING & MATCH ODDS

GAME PREVIEW

As Real Madrid begin their schedule of friendlies leading into the 2017-18 season, the question is not whether or not they are the best team in Europe but how any of their rivals plan to catch them.

Juventus, the final hurdle Madrid had to overcome to defend the Champions League, have lost key players once again. Barcelona's summer has been thrown into crisis by the threat of losing one of theirs.

Bayern's most significant signing has been a player who could not get in Zinedine Zidane's team and though Paris Saint-Germain and the Premier League clubs are flexing their financial muscles once again, all seem at least a year away from Champions League contention.

In Madrid, on the other hand, the rumours suggesting Cristiano Ronaldo could seek a move have disappeared and a fit Gareth Bale is looking to prove himself. Zidane has even had the luxury of being able to start putting a succession plan in place by bringing Jesus Vallejo (age 20), Dani Ceballos (20) and Theo Hernandez (19) into his squad.

There will be money available - Alvaro Morata and Danilo will fetch the best part of €100 million combined - for a big splash, too, to compensate for the loss of Morata and James Rodriguez.

Who Zidane and Florentino Perez decide to use that on remains to be seen, but if Madrid land the brightest young prospect in world football in Kylian Mbappe they will be in an even more enviable position going into the new campaign.